The Wondering Shadow
by Rose.Havenstar
Summary: A wondering child comes across the three Slender brothers through out her travels will she survive their encounters or will she perish? Will she live to adult hood and find a place to call her own? Only time will tell. (Slenderman, Splendorman, Offenderman, Ben Drowned, Jeff the Killer, Laughing Jack, Ticci Toby, Masky, Hoodie, Sally, Eyeless Jack, and others.)


5 Years Old

She had been traveling for two years with her three companions Killer, Champ Champ and her pet Tentis. In that short amount of time she knew that she was not normal like the rest of the people she came across. One none of them could make Darklings like Killer and Champ Champ, two they could not talk or do things with the shadows like she could, and three they could not change forms like she. For those very reasons her three companions thought it wise to wander the world.

She understood, she really did but even with her dear ones that she considered brothers and sister it still got lonely. As it happens though, they had decided to take a break in a place with a lush green forests that went by the name of Evergreen Forest, they did this from time to time to replenish their stock and thin keep going.

There was something strange about this place though, every so often she would hear people whispering about the forest and how they would find bodies and children would go missing, in hushed voices they would talk how it was done by giant of a man that wore a suit, a blood red tie, skin as pale as snow, and how his only feature was that he had no face. They would whisper the name Slenderman.

Now that had parked her interest, even though she was only five years old her thoughts ran differently than normal children, at times she thought like an adult but that did not mean that she had no childish nature, oh no she had one to rival that of the Devils devious side.

So she had asked her two companions to go on ahead, with a promise that she would stand by the border of the forest and not wander away and that she would stay with her other companion, Tentis. They both nodded and headed out knowing she could take care of herself and should anything happen Tentis would be right next to her to defend her.

She had glanced to her side at Tentis and gave her an evil grin. Spinning on her tip of her toes she walked into the forests and began to sing Greensleeves in hopes of luring Slinderman. After an hour of roaming the forest she came to a stop, Tentis who was walking behind her slammed into her legs, nearly sending her flat on her face.

She looked at Tentis "well where loss." Falling to her knees she wailed "NOOOOOO!" With one hand clutching her chest and the other held out toward the night sky. Tentis rolled her red tiger eyes at her antics. Still in the same position she glared at her companion underneath her thick eyelashes.

"You're a kill joy you know that?"

Tentis made an odd sound that she presumed to be a snicker of laughter.

Slenderman POV

He had been roaming the forest in search of foolish human and children who dare to enter it knowing the dire consequences. That's when he happen to hear a song in the wind, following it he came upon a small human female child around the age of 4 to 6 walking in his territory. He had a feeling of grim delight as he began to stalk the child and its unusual pet.

Looking at the child more closely, though he had no eyes, he saw that she had long dark brown hair in a French braid that was long enough to reach her ankles, she was barefooted with silver ankle bracelet that looked to have small bells on them, that oddly enough they made no sound when she took a step, her ears were slightly pointed and had quite a few piercings with the very same silent bells, what was truly striking about this child were her eyes, they were dark brown but in their depths they held a look of a grown adult that knew many things and had seen so very much.

He looked toward her pet that was following diligently behind her. It had a white coat that looked to have tiger pattern on it, it astonished him that a white tiger was following this lone female child and how it could walk unnoticed by other humans without causing mass hysteria.

He came to a stop when he noticed the child did as well. Rising his brow he took in the sight of the child's dramatic antics and would have chuckled when she glared at her pet for not responding the way she wanted. He watched as the child got up and brushed off her pants.

"Well I may be directionally challenged but at least they can tell us where to go." She said

Who were they she spoke of? The only ones that were there was the pet and he, not even the animals in the forest had wanted to stay when they realize he had been wondering it.

Ardaigh

She was starting to get inpatient waiting for the tall man. So she did what any crazy child with a death wish did. She inhaled a lung full of air and yelled "SLENDERMAN!" at the top of her lungs until she ran out of breath. Tentis whined and rubbed her ears with her paws to get the ringing to stop.

Hearing the leaves rustling and twig break behind her she turned around to come face to calf to none other thin the Slenderman. She looked up to see he really had no face beside the indentations for were his eyes, nose, and mouth would be.

Feeling her jaw begin to slacken and fall open Ardaigh had one thought "YOU ARE FREAKING AWESOME" She said aloud

She notice him stiffen and she turned to Tentis "I said that out loud didn't I."

The white feline nodded her head.

Turning back toward the tall man she said "Will you excuse me for a sec." Turning away she walked to the nearest tree and she banged her head against it going "Stupid, stupid, note to self buy filter for between mouth and brain stupid." after her small rant she turned back toward them and toke her place back beside Tentis like nothing ever happened.

"So are you going to eat me because if you are ill need an apple to make my self look more appetizing" she said with a bright smile.

Slenderman

The child was an oddity. Instead of yelling for help she had yelled for him. Once seeing him her eyes had began to go wide in wounder and amazement not fear and terror. Most children would ask him childish questions like are you a fairy mister, are you a giant mister, or begin to cry and scream monster but not this child, instead she ask if she were to become his meal and the fact that she knew he killed children did not even seem to frighten her. Almost every child he came across knew nothing of death but this one; this one did and did not seem to fear it.

"Are you not frighten of death child." he whispered in a voice that echoed with many others.

He watched as the child tilted its head and went into thought.

She began to speak with a deep serious tone the made her smile disappear. "In this world death is the great equalizer. We are born or created into a life either far or unjustly unfair for no reason or true purpose unless we make a purpose for it. This is how life is for everything but the one true fair thing in this world is death. It cares not if you are old, young, wealthy, poor, demonic or angelic in the end it will embrace us all in its shadows. So no i do not far death sooner or latter it will come for me so if you devour me now thin alright if not thin i may see another moon rise."

The way in which this child spoke in all seriousness and looked him strait in the face told him in more ways thin none that she truly believed this with her very small being. The look in her eyes spoke of knowledge far beyond her years. That's when he realized she truly was different then the children that wondered into his forest her mind was close to that of an adult but their was something else about this child that was different but he could not place what it was.

Ardaigh

"Sooooo you gonna eat me or what?" She asked with an raised eyebrow

The tall man simply shook his head head no.

She tilted her head to the side "Why not?"

"You intrigue me"

She shrugged. Thin she froze when she hard one of her ear bells chime. There was danger in the woods, not from the tall man, but from the one hiding in the brash. The sound of a gun cocking in the distance rang in her ears. But the Slenderman did not respond, he had not hard it.

He aims at the faceless one. The shadows whispered.

Without a second thought she launched herself at the tall man knocking him to the ground when the sound of the gun firing exploded in the quit forest. There was a sharp pain in her arm as fire exploded through her small lime. That when all hell broke loose.

Slenderman

The child tackling him had startled him enough to lose his balance and fall with said child laying on his chest. What made him freeze was the sound of a gun going off when she did. The child's body was warm and had the fragrance of roses and forest, but what caught his attention was the smell of iron mixed with it.

The sudden drop in temperature and the forbidding sense of danger and bloodless made him stop his attempt to rise. The fierce growling of the child's pet made him even more wary. Slowly he looked toward it, it had began to change it no longer had one tail but 10, it's fur changing from white to black, it's teeth began to lengthen and sharpen, and its eyes began to glow with an unnatural and early red light.

All around them the shadows were beginning to move and that when he heard them. They spoke in whispers and had he not been listening to see if the hunter would shoot again he would not have heard them.

Hurt, He hurt little one

Devour, yes devour HIM

The screams of the human male who had shot at him echoed throughout his forest along with the familiar sounds of snapping and breaking of bones along with the sound of flesh tearing, the scent of blood hang heavy in the air for only moments until it seemed to vanish.

Ardaigh

This was bad the shadows had became in raged, even now she could hear them devouring the man who had shot her. And Tentis was no longer Tentis but a shadow beast that would devour anything she thought was a threat to her. As quickly as she could she slide off of Slenderman's chest, standing as straight as she could, she spread her arms out in a jester of protection to keep the enraged beast from attacking him, all the while trying to not show how much pain she was in.

She could hear the demon rising behind her and she saw the hungry look in her friends eyes if she did not do anything soon there would be a blood bath and it would not be just their blood that was split. The shadows even wanted a bite out of this demon. The beast began to maneuver to try to get behind her.

"Tentis he an't food."

He meant to harm you to little one. The shadows answer for Tentis

"Did you not hear him say that he was not going to eat me before we were disturbed or have you already forgotten."

Very will, we will leave him be. But we are going to get the darklings.

She saluted the shadows "I I Captain"

She watched as Tentis change back to her normal self before finding it safe to turn toward Slenderman.

"You ok?"

The tall demon looked down at her and nodded.

"Oh good iam glade."

Slenderman

This child was indeed an oddity. Not once had she shed a tear for the pain she most be feeling and thin she had sought to protect him from her beast and shadows. He now knew what he could not place about this girl. She radiated power almost like that of Lord Zalgo.

He knelt in front of the child to look closer at her face. Even the child toke the opportunity to gaze at his none extinct face. She had dark brown eyes with long black lashes and under her right eye was a back swirling design.

"Mister Slenderman can you show me your rage face please." she said with puppy eyes

Did this child have no concept for danger. Very will thin he would show her one of the many reasons why he was so feared. He watched as her eyes widen when she hard the sound of his flesh ripping to revealed his mouth full of fangs and his eyes appearing to show to pits of darkness with glowing red centers. He could feel his black blood dripping down his face. He had completely anticipated to finally see fear on her face, only to be startled by the sadden look on her face as she latched onto his neck hugging him.

"Iam sorry. Had i known it hurts you to show your rage face i would have never had asked iam really sorry mister Slenderman i didn't mean to hurt you." she wept softly into his neck.

He was completely thrown off by this child. Not once has she shown or smelt like fear to him, when she got hurt she shed not one tear, and now this. He had shown her his true face and she shows only concern for his pain. Sighing in defeat he rubbed her head like he saw so many of her kind do to comfort one another.

"Shhhh, Little one it is fine i feel no pain." prying her away from his neck he showed her his now black face. "See good as new."

Rubbing her eyes with her uninjured arm she looked him in the place were his eyes would be. "Really your not just saying that are you?"

"I mean it Little one. I do not say it to comfort you."

"Good, iam glade you are alright thin." She said with a smile.

He stood to his full height and brushed himself off. He looked back toward the child she was looking to her right into the forest with tension in her small frame. She quickly turned back toward him.

"Mister Slenderman iam really sorry but you should hide my companions are almost here. Tentis might not hurt you but they will."

"Very will, but before i take my leave whats your name?"

"Ardaigh"

"May our paths cross again little one."

With that he lift but he did not go far. He wish to see this companions she spoke of for him self. They came from from the path that she had been staring off to when he was brushing himself off. They were two large males that were about 6ft tall. They looked to be brothers, both had pale skin like the child, they both had black hair though one wore it short and spike while the other had it long enough to reach past his shoulder blades, both their eyes were tainted crimson, they wore all black clothing, and each had a different set of piercings. The one with long hair had his pointed ears pierced completely while the short haired one had piercings in his nose, eyebrow, and lip.

The one with short hair ran toward her with out stretched arms as thou he wear going to pick her up only to have the child grab his arm and toss the man over her arm that was three times her size. she pointed at him "NO TOUCHIE!" she yelled.

Her beast seemed to have been making a sound that he presumed was laughter while the one with long hair just shook his head. He walked up to her, knelt and began to work on her arm pulling out the bullet that was lodged in her arm.

"You know as will as i brother that she does not like being touched."

"Your touching her." He whined as he got up brushing himself off

"Its necessary for me to touch her right now. You on the other hand had every intent to tackle her with a hug."

An annoyed clearing of the throat from the girl stopped the two bothers from further bickering.

"She as you so lovingly like to refer to is right her. So you can stop talking like i am not here."

"Sorry" they both said

"There your all patched up" said the long haired one

"Thanks K"

"We got everything we need so you ready to head out." Asked the short haired one

"Yes CC, iam ready. you two will have to lead the way out of here though."

"No prob."

The two began to walk back the way they came. The little one stay only a moment more only to wave good by to him which he returned.


End file.
